Columbia
Zechs
exercised a brilliant improvisation he conjured at the military
academy once upon a time distant from current events. In one
troubling assignment in the wilderness outside of Lake Victoria,
Zechs led a platoon of other students in "backwater irregular
operations," and he had the burden of holding the losing member of
a village feud in custody. He had to safely bring this village
troublemaker in for punishment without violating the perp's
dignity, as tribal custom saw it, or else he'd lose their support
in the area. He could bind the man's arm's behind his back,
according to custom, but never ever bind a man's feet- that take's
away his dignity as a man- because men walk. If you do tie a man's
feet, you are stating that this man is a baby, and he needs to be
taught the proper ways of the baby. "Stay in your place,
Baby."
This
tribe wouldn't be a hit at the Special Olympics or a military
hospital, but in the bush, he had to respect their ways. So, he
cleverly removed the mosquito nets from the platoon's jeep windows,
and used them to staple a barrier between the front seats and the
back. Keep the windows rolled up, put the bound prisoner in the back,
and let him kick the improvised barrier cage if he wishes; it won't
do him any good.
Zechs
smiled, finished.
"Do you remember, Noin?" She glanced away from the road, smirked.
"Yeah, I was the opposing platoon leader, and my solution was-"they said it together.
"-Tie him to the hood and let the legs dangle!" Zechs peeked over his shoulder.
"What do you think of that, boy?" Unexpectedly, Manuela answered.
"Have you ever heard of a bag party, Lieutenant?" The Count's jaw floored the jeep.
"No way!" Noin swore.
"Oh, he did."
"Yup,
me and some of the other boys redistributed our rations so we'd
have a spare rucksack, and roped it tightly around him, then we laid
him on the floor and set our guard in the back, feet pressed against
him at all times!"
Noin
corroborated the story.
"Alex
led the other group. He had Mueller sat on him."
Zechs
again looked back to leer at Heorot.
"You are SO lucky, boy." The Gemini pilot refused to agree.
"By the way," Noin summarized, "Treize added Zechs' method to the next printing of the manual."
Zechs chuckled nostalgically, while Noin found wonder in recent events. 'What a pleasant and cordial trip this is turning out to be?'
Airline Terminal, Bogotá Columbia
The
crowd had plenty of reasons to stare, but in this case, the Lightning
Count wasn't sure which reason applied.
'(1)
Is it because I'm the Peacecraft that tried to kill them all? (2)
Because I'm the brother of the Peacecraft that ruled the world? (3)
Because Noin and I have a prisoner, and are wearing badges with
swimsuits? Do we belong in a Bay Watch spin-off? (4) Related to
reason three, do we just look too good? In that case, is it Noin or
me they're looking at?
At
the desk, they flashed their badges.
"Preventers Wind and Fire. We need aboard our direct flight to Panama City, please."
The clerk swiped Fire's card, saw they have the proper E-certificate to carry firearms, and yes, they are expected in Columbia. Everything's in order.
"Si, Vamanos." The clerk waved them along.
"Next!"
In the air
The Preventers relieved some tension in the best seats their expense accounts allowed for them, a respectable seating, since they've both let a surplus grow to this point. Zechs bothered to rationalize it in his head, in case Une decides to make an issue of the expense.
'We're working through Thanksgiving, a very important holiday in our era. Do you expect us to miss out on ALL the festivities? Besides, I'm starting a portion of my vacation right now.'
He allowed himself to relax a little, granted, but volunteered to watch Manuela while Noin reclined for a nap.
'So I lose a little sleep? I needed the time to make reservations anyway,' he thought, purchasing tickets, hotel rooms, a rental car, and dinners, all patched through his passenger terminal.
Heck, he ordered special furnishings and songs for the rooms. And a cruise, a snorkeling tour, a chauffer for the car, and a parasailing ride.
'No more,' he resisted further impulses, 'I've spent too much already. Can I refund any of this?' That won a smile. 'Oh yeah, I see I can return the extra room, but I can't be that forward, can I?' Of course he could, but erred on the side of caution. Two rooms it is.
"Ah, Sir, are you sure about those song selections? If you're really looking for romance, you shouldn't choose such old songs that were considered old-hat even when they were new!"
Zechs turned a sour face toward his prisoner.
"Look
here, buddy, those songs are considered FUN, alright, and for such a
FUN setting as the vacation spots of Havana, the music should be more
FUN than romantic, okay?"
Okay.
Shore of Somalia
Finally, I see the light. I get it. I truly understand the pain of childbirth, because my current predicament makes a perfect analogy. At least, if I hold to that thought, I'll have the drive to keep going. I'm a submerged seed, but I am blessed with the preternatural gift of new life! Kick!
"Ah!"
My thighs burn, but my hamstrings have the constitution of a Jurassic Titan on a testosterone diet.
"I'm with you, Denzel, King Kong ain't got it on me either!" Ever sprout from a seed before? Than you don't know what this is all about! I'm Rashid, proud Maguanac.
"And now Lazarus don't have it on me either!" That Got Dang cannon spared me one with that cluster shell, but I'll be out of the picture awhile. Heck, the tide might sweep in and kill me, but now that I'm out of my grave...I can pass out.
